Parliament to tighten laws to protect Ipid head

THE NATIONAL legislature is tightening the law to prevent the Minister of Police from unilaterally suspending the head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate without the approval of Parliament.

This also comes after Ipid and the Civilian Secretariat for Police said yesterday that Parliament would have oversight over the decision to suspend the head of Ipid.

But the DA called for former Minister Nathi Nhleko to be held accountable for the court action and decisions to suspend the head of Ipid, Robert McBride.

The amendment to the Ipid Bill came after the Constitutional Court ruled in 2016 that Nhleko did not have powers to suspend McBride. It ordered Parliament to fix the law.

Advocate Dawn Bell, of the Civilian Secretariat for Police, told the portfolio committee on police, during the public hearings, that their proposals would strengthen the Bill.

She said the proposals would ensure Parliamentary oversight in the suspension or removal of the head of Ipid.

“The Minister may in consultation with the relevant Parliamentary committee, provisionally suspend the executive director, pending the outcome of a disciplinary inquiry instituted by the relevant parliamentary committee into the fitness of the executive director to hold office,” said Dawn.

“Upon conclusion of the disciplinary inquiry, the relevant parliamentary committee will submit a report together with its findings and recommendations to the National Assembly for consideration,” she said. “The executive director may only be removed from office upon the adoption by the National Assembly of resolution calling for the executive director’s removal from office.”

Dianne Kohler Barnard, of the DA, called for Nhleko to be hauled over the coals for his conduct.